The purpose of the 3rd Water Resources Management Workshop under the patronage of Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning project (DSWRPP) is to mark the initiation of the expansion of existing groundwater monitoring network established by Water Resources Board in order to identify the groundwater status in 6 provinces that were deemed to be under heavy stress in both quality and quantity as a result of various anthropogenic activities. Further at the proposed workshop, it is expected to give some information on the current status and findings of the ongoing projects funded by the treasury and being implemented by WRB. Two previous work shops were held in March 2011 and July August 2013on Challenges in Groundwater Management in Sri Lanka,and Issues and Solutions: Water Resources Management with Special Emphasis on Groundwater Management respectively. The 3rd workshop is expected to be an open workshop where invitations are tendered to the professionals in the water and water related sectors to participate and present papers with somewhat a practical orientation.

Objectives:

Water Resources Board was established in 1966 under the Act No. 29 of 1964, as an advisory body to the Minister on all matters concerning the control and utilization of water resources in Sri Lanka. The act was amended in 1999 to enable the Water Resources Board to pay more emphasis on matters pertaining to groundwater resources in Sri Lanka. Main functions of the Board have been carryout research on groundwater, carryout hydrogeological surveys to locate groundwater sources, construction of tube wells, installation of hand pumps, water sample analysis (chemical, bacteriological, heavy metals) and groundwater assessment studies.

The main target of the 3rd workshop is to give an overall picture on the expansion program of the monitoring network that established under the 1st phase of the Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning program. The following work has been programed to develop a monitoring program in the following areas under the expansion program.

vii.vii. Badulla District: Continue study in all DS Division of the District

Expansion Program of DSWRPP And New Areas Identified

In other hand, it is planned to present six(06) papers on scientific, research and current affairs on water resources in general and groundwater in particular.

Time

17 July 2015.

Important dates

Submission of abstract: 27 May 2015

Notification to applicants on Outcomes of abstract: 15 May 2015

Submission of Full paper: 15 June 2015

Submission of presentations in electronic format: 08 July 2015

Moderator

In order to make the workshop deliberationsfocused , a professional workshop moderator will be employed by the PMU to facilitate the workshop presentations, presentation of issues, small group and plenary sessions to ensure that the objectives and the expected outcome is fulfilled. The same facilitator shall be entrusted with the responsibility to produce the workshop report, including recommendations received from workshop participants for design of the Groundwater monitoring system to be funded under the Dam Safety Project.

Workshop proceedings

At the end of the workshop, the PMU with the assistance from Project Consultants will prepare workshop proceedings, summarizing inputs and recommendations received from workshop participants for design of the Groundwater monitoring system to be funded under the Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning Project.

For this regard, Hon Mithripala Sirisena, his Excellency the president of the socialist republic of Sri Lanka, Hon Minister of Irrigation Wijith Wijayamuni Soyza and Hon Deputy Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment Wasantha Aluwihare have been invited to grace the occasion. Two hundred participants are expected to be present at the workshop covering a wide profile of professionals and academics. The program has been scheduled to be held at BMICH on 17 July 2015 from 8.30am to 4: 30pm.